"The arrest warrant against Rav Lior was issued a long time ago with the knowledge and approval of the Attorney General, the State Attorney and the Prosecution, after Rav Lior refused to show up for questioning," the statement explained.

“In a state where the rule of law prevails, in which presidents, prime ministers, ministers, Knesset Members, religious sages and prominent public figures have been questioned by police, no one is above the law and no one may see himself as exempt from the obligation to show up for police questioning.”

“Despite this, there were contacts between… the office of the Attorney General and various people, and the Rabbi was invited to show up for questioning in a respectable and quiet manner. These attempts received negative responses and so there was no choice but to issue the arrest warrant.”

The Ministry expressed its support for Deputy State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan, who has been on the receiving end of much of the nationalist anger. “We regret the repeated attempts to paint the work of an honest, devoted and loyal civil servant like Attorney Nitzan with the brush of politics,” it said.